Ex Quezon Bukidnon mayor Leonardo sued with graft

Graft charges have been filed against former Quezon, Bukidnon mayor Stewart Leonardo for allegedly using public funds in the purchase of personal equipment in 2010. The graft cases against the ex Bukidnon mayor were filed before the Sandiganbayan.

According to a news report, Leonardo himself did not deny the charges and claimed that it was “an honest mistake.”

The Office of the Ombudsman said Leonardo is facing charges for the violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Section 3 (e) involves, “causing any undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.”

Based on the Ombudsman investigation, then-mayor Leonardo joined an auction in 2010 at the Subic Freeport Zone, and purchased four surplus dump trucks, 10-wheeler trucks, road grader, a cargo truck, a brand new vibratory compactor, and a surplus bulldozer — all worth P6.3 million — for his local government.

However, in the same auction, Leonardo bought for personal use some equipment, including a 10-wheeler truck and excavator, using the bid book and bid deposit of the municipality, the statement said.

“It was also shown that Leonardo appropriated for his benefit the municipality’s bid deposit of P100,000 which was supposed to be deducted from the total price of the equipment purchased by the municipality,” the investigation report said.

The Ombudsman, quoting the resolution, said Leonardo “took advantage of his position when he had these equipment shipped and transported, together with the equipment procured by the municipality from Subic to his residence in Bukidnon.”